Catching Up with ...Bebo Norman
On marriage, his new album, the art of songwriting, and more …
by Andree Farias | posted 11/06/2006
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Until recently, you were Christian music's quintessential bachelor. What does it feel to not have that title anymore?
Bebo Norman A breath of fresh air. Actually, it was always fun to joke around about it. I don't take myself too seriously. But there were times when the questions about that became a distraction from the heart of why I play music in the first place.
Besides the obvious, what's your favorite part of marriage?
Norman So, what's the obvious? Just kidding … I think the thing I value the most is the consistency of my wife. I have always struggled with my own tendency to spiral from certainty into doubt, from fear into hope, back and forth. The consistency of my wife and of what marriage really is reminds me daily of the fact that there is a beautiful God who is completely consistent.
About your new album: What made you come out of your folk/college mold and get in touch with your pop side?
Norman Mostly that I wanted all my influences to be represented on this record. The music that really inspires me has mushroomed over the past few years to include a pretty broad array. I think that shows up on this record.
There are a lot of singer/songwriters. What makes you different?
Norman Well, I'm not sure. I think listeners are desperate for more and more honesty in their music, and I hope what makes me different is that I'm willing to continue to stretch things musically. There can be honest songs about real life, that don't have to necessarily fit the "acoustic folk" mold of so many singer-songwriters.
What's the main takeaway of the album?
Norman I think it's hope. The last few years in my life have been a season of peace, but I haven't been comfortable with that peace. The friction of this record became the struggle to understand this newfound peace in light of a world that is so desperately not at peace—the tension between the hope eternal that we're promised as believers and a really temporal and sometimes dark world. Sometimes I think in Christian music we overemphasize one or the other. It's either all joy or all a fallen world. I think the reality is that this life is messy and it's beautiful all at the same time. Hope in the real world … that's the takeaway.
Which song from the new album are you most proud of, and why?
Norman Man, that's a hard one. I don't think I've ever been as proud of a record as I am of this one. If you forced me to pick one song right now, I would probably say "I Know Now." It's just a song about redemption, about being lifted up, that is really speaking to me at the moment.
Favorite song on the new album?
Norman Probably "Into the Day" because it best represents the record as a whole. It's just a song about stepping out of the "dark night of the soul" and stepping into hope.
Click here to visit our artist page for Bebo Norman, where you'll find our review of his latest release, Between the Dreaming and the Coming True. Check out Christianbook.com to listen to sound clips and purchase his music 1 of 1
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